Integrated circuit packaging system with plated leads and method of manufacture thereof

ABSTRACT

An integrated circuit packaging system and method of manufacture thereof includes: an L-plated lead; a die conductively connected to the L-plated lead; and an encapsulant encapsulating the L-plated lead and the die.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This is a divisional of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/069,744 filed Mar. 23, 2011.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to an integrated circuitpackaging system, and more particularly to a system with plated leads.

BACKGROUND ART

Electrical products must compete in world markets and attract manyconsumers or buyers to be successful. As a result, it is very importantfor products to continue to improve in features, performance, andreliability while reducing product costs, product size, and equallyimportant to be available quickly for purchase by the consumers orbuyers.

The demand for high density and high output/input integrated circuitpackages dramatically increased with the trend of electronic productstoward lightweight, small size, multi-function, and high speed products.Therefore, components in the package are becoming thinner and thinner toreduce the size of the whole package effectively and the capability ofstacking more packages on top of each other. Electronic products such ascell phone base products, global positioning systems (GPS), satellites,communication equipment, consumer products, and a vast line of othersimilar products are in ever increasing global demand.

A small product, such as a cell phone, can contain many integratedcircuit packages, each having different sizes and shapes. Each of theintegrated circuit packages within the cell phone can contain largeamounts of complex circuitry. The circuitry within each of theintegrated circuit packages work and communicate with other circuitry ofother integrated circuit packages and electrical parts using electricalconnections on circuit boards.

Time to market, reliability, the number of integrated circuit packages,and the number of electrical parts on the circuit boards inside aproduct are important to improving the features, performance, andreliability of any product. Furthermore, the ways the circuitry andelectrical connections are implemented have a direct impact on theavailability, reliability, and costs of products.

Attempts have failed to provide a complete solution addressingsimplified manufacturing processing, ease of stacking, time to market,improved reliability, reduced electrical parts on the circuit boards,and size reductions of the circuit boards with increased functionality,leveragability, and increased product features to the consumer.

In view of the problems and process requirements, it is increasinglycritical that answers be found. In view of the ever-increasingcommercial competitive pressures, along with growing consumerexpectations and the diminishing opportunities for meaningful productdifferentiation in the marketplace, it is critical that answers be foundfor these problems. Additionally, the need to reduce costs, improveefficiencies and performance, and meet competitive pressures adds aneven greater urgency to the critical necessity for finding answers tothese problems.

Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developmentshave not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to theseproblems have long eluded those skilled in the art.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method of manufacture of an integratedcircuit packaging system including: providing a sacrificial supporthaving a cavity provided therein; plating an L-plated lead in thecavity; bonding a die in the cavity conductively connected to theL-plated lead; encapsulating the L-plated lead and the die; attaching acarrier support to the sacrificial support; removing the sacrificialsupport; and singulating the carrier support into an individualintegrated circuit packaging system.

The present invention provides an integrated circuit packaging system,including: an L-plated lead; a die conductively connected to theL-plated lead; and an encapsulant encapsulating the L-plated lead andthe die.

Certain embodiments of the invention have other steps or elements inaddition to or in place of those mentioned above. The steps or elementwill become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of thefollowing detailed description when taken with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a rectangular sacrificial supportafter a plating step in the manufacture of an integrated circuitpackaging system in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 in a die attach step ofmanufacture of the integrated circuit packaging system.

FIG. 3 is the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 in an encapsulation step ofmanufacture of the integrated circuit packaging system.

FIG. 4 is the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3 in a support attach step ofmanufacture of the integrated circuit packaging system.

FIG. 5 is the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 in a singulation step ofmanufacture of the integrated circuit packaging system.

FIG. 6 is a partial isometric view of a bottom portion of an integratedcircuit packaging system in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 7 is a side view of an embodiment of the integrated circuitpackaging system of the present invention being stacked.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a method of manufacture of an integratedcircuit packaging system in an embodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The following embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enablethose skilled in the art to make and use the invention. It is to beunderstood that other embodiments would be evident based on the presentdisclosure, and that system, process, or mechanical changes may be madewithout departing from the scope of the present invention.

In the following description, numerous specific details are given toprovide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will beapparent that the invention may be practiced without these specificdetails. In order to avoid obscuring the present invention, somewell-known circuits, system configurations, and process steps are notdisclosed in detail.

The drawings showing embodiments of the system are semi-diagrammatic andnot to scale and, particularly, some of the dimensions are for theclarity of presentation and are shown exaggerated in the drawing FIGS.Similarly, although the views in the drawings for ease of descriptiongenerally show similar orientations, this depiction in the FIGS. isarbitrary for the most part. Generally, the invention can be operated inany orientation.

Where multiple embodiments are disclosed and described having somefeatures in common, for clarity and ease of illustration, description,and comprehension thereof, similar and like features one to another willordinarily be described with similar reference numerals. The embodimentshave been numbered first embodiment, second embodiment, etc. as a matterof descriptive convenience and are not intended to have any othersignificance or provide limitations for the present invention.

For expository purposes, the term “horizontal” as used herein is definedas a plane parallel to the plane or surface of the substrate, regardlessof its orientation. The term “vertical” refers to a directionperpendicular to the horizontal as just defined. Terms, such as “above”,“below”, “bottom”, “top”, “side” (as in “sidewall”), “higher”, “lower”,“upper”, “over”, and “under”, are defined with respect to the horizontalplane, as shown in the figures. The term “on” means that there is directcontact between elements.

Referring now to FIG. 1, therein is shown a cross-sectional view of arectangular sacrificial support after a plating step in the manufactureof an integrated circuit packaging system in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

A rectangular sacrificial support 102 is provided with generallyrectangular cavities 104-106. The sacrificial support 102 is made of aneasily removable material, such as copper, which can be easily etchedaway. The top surfaces of the sacrificial support 102 and the insides ofthe cavities 104-106 are patterned with a resist to allow plating on thebottom and side walls of the cavities 104-106. An electro- orelectroless-plating process is used to form individual L-plated leads108-113.

In another embodiment, the cavities 104-106 are also patterned for thedeposition of plated die attach paddles 116-118 co-planar withhorizontal surfaces on the L-plated leads 108-113.

The L-plated leads 108-113 and the plated die attach paddles 116-118 maybe a single layer, such as nickel, or multiple layer plating, such asnickel palladium.

Referring now to FIG. 2, therein is shown the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 1 in a die attach step of manufacture of the integrated circuitpackaging system.

Integrated circuit dies 202-204 may be die attached directly to thesacrificial support 102 or to the plated die attach paddles 116-118.

After die attach, the dies 202-204 are wire bonded by wires 206-208 tothe L-plated leads 108-113. It will be understood that the conductiveconnection from the dies 202-204 to the L-plated leads 108-113 couldalso be through other conductive connections, such as solder balls.

Referring now to FIG. 3, therein is shown the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 2 in an encapsulation step of manufacture of the integrated circuitpackaging system.

The dies 202-204 and the L-plated leads 108-113 are embedded inencapsulants 302-304. The encapsulants 302-304 can be underfill materialor epoxy molding compound which may be either liquid poured or injectionmolded.

Referring now to FIG. 4, therein is shown the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 3 in a support attach step of manufacture of the integrated circuitpackaging system.

A carrier support 402, such as an adhesive carrier tape is placed on thesacrificial support 102, the L-plated leads 108-113 and the encapsulants302-304 in preparation of the singulation process.

Referring now to FIG. 5, therein is shown the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 4 in a singulation step of manufacture of the integrated circuitpackaging system.

The sacrificial support 102 is removed to singulate the integratedcircuit packaging systems 500-502. For example for copper, a copperstrip etch is used for the removal process.

The individual integrated circuit packaging systems 500-502 are thenremoved from the carrier support 402.

Referring now to FIG. 6, therein is shown a partial isometric view of abottom portion of an integrated circuit packaging system in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

An integrated circuit packaging system 600 has an encapsulant 602 inwhich L-plated leads 604 are embedded with only vertical surfaces 605 oneach of the L-plated leads 604 being exposed from the encapsulant 602.Also exposed by the encapsulant 602 are horizontal surfaces 607 on eachof the L-plated leads 604. A small horizontal surface of the L-platedlead is also exposed by the encapsulant 602 in the hidden surface of theintegrated circuit packaging system 600.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a plated die attachpaddle 610 is also exposed from the encapsulant 602 of the integratedcircuit packaging system 600.

Referring now to FIG. 7, therein is shown a side view of an embodimentof the integrated circuit packaging system of the present inventionbeing stacked.

A flipped integrated circuit packaging system 700 includes a die 702attached to a plated die attach paddle 704 and embedded in anencapsulant 706. It will be understood that the die 702 could also beanother integrated circuit packaging system. Bond wires 708 conductivelyconnect the die 702 to L-plated leads 710 having vertical surfaces 711and horizontal surfaces 712.

A first module 714, having bond pads 716, is conductively connected byconductive bumps 718 to the vertical surfaces 711 and small horizontalsurfaces of the L-plated leads 710. The first module 714 can be aprinted circuit board, other substrate, die, or another integratedcircuit packaging system.

A second module 720, having solder balls 722, is conductively connectedby the solder balls to the horizontal surfaces 712 of the L-plated leads710. The second module 720 can be a printed circuit board, othersubstrate, die, or another integrated circuit packaging system.

It has been discovered that the conductive connections to the verticalsurfaces 711 and horizontal surfaces 712 provide a simple structuralconnection for stacked systems and substantially improve board levelreliability.

Referring now to FIG. 8, therein is shown a flow chart of a method ofmanufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system in an embodimentof the present invention. The manufacturing method 800 includes:providing a sacrificial support having a cavity provided therein in ablock 802; plating an L-plated lead in the cavity in a block 804;bonding a die in the cavity conductively connected to the L-plated leadin a block 806; encapsulating the L-plated lead and the die in a block808; attaching a carrier support to the sacrificial support in a block810; removing the sacrificial support in a block 812; and singulatingthe carrier support into an individual integrated circuit packagingsystem in a block 814.

The resulting method, process, apparatus, device, product, and systemare straightforward, cost-effective, uncomplicated, highly versatile andeffective, can be surprisingly and unobviously implemented by adaptingknown technologies, and are thus readily suited for efficiently andeconomically manufacturing packaging systems and are fully compatiblewith conventional manufacturing methods or processes and technologies.

Another important aspect of the present invention is that it valuablysupports and services the historical trend of reducing costs,simplifying systems, and increasing performance.

These and other valuable aspects of the present invention consequentlyfurther the state of the technology to at least the next level.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with a specificbest mode, it is to be understood that many alternatives, modifications,and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light ofthe aforegoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace allsuch alternatives, modifications, and variations that fall within thescope of the included claims. All matters hithertofore set forth hereinor shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted in anillustrative and non-limiting sense.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system comprising: providing a sacrificial support having a cavity provided therein; plating an L-plated lead in the cavity; bonding a die in the cavity conductively connected to the L-plated lead; encapsulating the L-plated lead and the die; attaching a carrier support to the sacrificial support; removing the sacrificial support; and singulating the carrier support into an individual integrated circuit packaging system.
 2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising plating a plated die attach paddle on the bottom of the cavity.
 3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein encapsulating the L-plated lead exposes only one vertical surface and a horizontal surface of the L-plated lead.
 4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein: encapsulating the L-plated lead exposes only one vertical surface of the L-plated lead; and further comprising: bonding a first module to the one vertical surface of the L-plated lead.
 5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein: encapsulating the L-plated lead exposes a horizontal surface of the L-plated lead; and further comprising: bonding a second module to the horizontal surface of the L-plated lead.
 6. A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system comprising: providing a sacrificial support having a cavity provided therein; plating L-plated leads in the cavity; bonding a die in the cavity conductively connected by wires to the L-plated leads; encapsulating the L-plated leads and the die; attaching a carrier support to the sacrificial support; etching the sacrificial support; and removing an integrated circuit packaging system from the carrier support.
 7. The method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising: plating a plated die attach paddle on the bottom of the cavity; and attaching the die to the plated die attach paddle.
 8. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein encapsulating the L-plated leads exposes only one vertical surface and a horizontal surface on each of the L-plated leads.
 9. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein: encapsulating the L-plated leads exposes only one vertical surface on each of the L-plated leads; and further comprising: solder bonding a first module only to the one vertical surface on each of the L-plated leads.
 10. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein: encapsulating the L-plated lead exposes a horizontal surface on each of the L-plated leads; and further comprising: ball bonding a second module only to the horizontal surface on each of the L-plated leads. 